Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai announced that tomorrow (Tuesday) he is expected to form a new party and announce his candidacy in the 24th Knesset elections. Tomorrow, Huldai will make a statement to the media at 20:00.
Huldai said: “Hundreds of thousands of Israelis feel they have no home in the current political system. We will raise our heads and give them back their hope. After a number of key figures in the Israeli public joined me, it is time to present a clear alternative.”
Hundreds of thousands of Israelis feel they have no home in the current political system. We will raise their heads and give them back their hope. After being joined by a number of key figures in the Israeli public, it was time to present a clear alternative.
– Ron Huldai (@Ron_Huldai) December 28, 2020
Recently, Huldai has made many hints about his future and his intention to run in national politics. In recent days, as part of his role as mayor of Tel Aviv, he signed a coalition agreement with the Shas faction in the municipality, perhaps in preparation for his tenure in the Knesset.
Huldai’s entourage said tonight ahead of the announcement tomorrow: “It will be interesting.” Huldai’s announcement comes amid the expected announcement by blue and white chairman Benny Gantz that he will lead the party he leads to run in the election, after ousting the rebels Miki Haimovich and Assaf Zamir. Former Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot.
In recent weeks, Huldai has begun raising public donations in preparation for running for prime minister. In the donation form he distributed, he asked to donate sums of up to ten thousand shekels for him by check or bank transfer. The form reads “Thank you for choosing to contribute to Ron Huldai’s Prime Ministerial Campaign.”
Huldai, 76, was elected mayor of Tel Aviv in 1998, and has been in office continuously since then. During his military service in the Air Force he reached the rank of brigadier general, and among other things commanded the Air Force base on the premises. After Huldai resigns from his position as mayor of Tel Aviv, re-elections for the position of head of the local authority are expected to take place only, without party elections.
At the same time, the internal conflict in the Labor Party continued. On Wednesday, the Tel Aviv District Court will hear an urgent petition by MK Merav Michaeli and 99 Labor activists seeking to order Amir Peretz and the party’s management to cancel the decision of the last party conference and order primaries for the party leadership.
It will also be recalled that MK Ofer Shelach, who retired from Mish Atid, announced the establishment of a party headed by him together with Lahav President Roi Cohen.